Thank-you to everyone who attended the members’ meeting on Thursday and observed the industrial action on Friday.

We had pickets at Edinburgh and Orkney today, and officers from the HW Student Union visited the Edinburgh campus pickets to show their solidarity. On Monday we hope to have Mark Pendleton, UCU Vice President for Higher Education, at the Edinburgh pickets.

Despite Heriot-Watt having reneged on the agreement reached in return for members standing down the strike during the graduations we have still not heard anything from the university, just what was in the internal communication to all staff.

Why, we do not know, but to be absolutely clear: The email from the university is not an accurate reflection of what was discussed and, crucially, what was understood beyond any doubt to have been agreed by both sets of negotiators. We can only wonder if a decision was subsequently made elsewhere that the deal would not be honoured and that communication would be severed.

The failure of the university to negotiate in good faith is almost unprecedented, and a sign of the desperate and damaging lengths to which the university leadership seem to be willing to go.

The pickets will be back from 8.00 until 11.00am on Monday 10 August and we hope to see as many of you there as possible. Costumes, dogs, children, and journalists most welcome.

Please observe this day of industrial action to show support for our colleagues in LINCS and Scholar who remain under the threat of compulsory redundancy.